Keep Me Sane
by xbigbrowneyes
Summary: An EClare story about how Clare and Eli take on obstacles together and hold each other up.
1. Chapter 1

_Keep Me Sane_ by xbigbrowneyes

**Clare's POV**

"So you can't come tonight?" I asked KC as we started our way up Degrassi's front steps, fingers intertwined.

"No, Clare, I can't," he replied, letting my hand go.

I stopped near the front door and KC did as well. "KC, it's Darcy's birthday. She really wanted you to come. And it'd be the perfect opportunity for my parents to finally meet you..." I said, trying to make eye contact.

Looking down at the ground, KC sighed loudly. "Look, Clare, I already told you I can't. I have... other plans."

"You always have other plans..." I mumbled, pushing the front door open and heading to my locker as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry, Clare! Tell Darcy I said 'Happy Birthday'!" I heard KC shout a few yards away as I angrily pushed my way through crowds.

This wasn't the first time he 'had other plans'. Basically every single day he was 'too busy' after school. And with what? I wish I knew. He wouldn't tell me. He just said he had things he needed to get done. When I told Alli about it, she bluntly told me that he's probably cheating on me. I was appalled at her opinion, and quickly told her that I trusted KC and would never condemn him of such actions. Now, I wasn't so sure.

**Eli's POV**

Parking Morty in Degrassi's driveway, I noticed the strange looks I was receiving. Kids were pointing at me, whispering, laughing, you name it. As I stepped out of the hearse and started heading towards Degrassi's front entrance, I heard several amusing remarks.

"Like we needed another one of those emo freaks."

"Look at that goth dude, he's wearing eyeliner! What a weirdo!"

"Be quiet, he might hear you and cut himself!"

I shook my head and smirked. I thought that the kids at Degrassi would be at least a tad bit more mature then the kids at my old school, but I guess not.

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt someone tap on my shoulder. "Are you Elijah Goldsworthy?" a nearly bald man in a suit asked.

"Yup, that's me."

"Hi Elijah. I'm Principal Simpson. I'd like to personally welcome you to Degrassi!" He said, reaching his hand out for me to shake it.

"You can call me Eli. And thank you." I said, smiling and shaking his right hand with my left.

"Eli, I'm very sorry, but I'm very busy, so I'm going to introduce you to one of my best students so they can give you a grand tour around Degrassi before class starts. Oh, and before I forget, here's your schedule and ID card," Mr. Simpson said, handing me a laminated sheet of paper and a small plastic ID card attached to a yellow and blue lanyard which read, 'GO DEGRASSI PANTHERS!'

"Follow me," he continued.

I followed Mr. Simpson into the school, where lockers were lined up on both sides of the hallways, the walls were painted blue or yellow, and motivational posters were hung up everywhere. We stopped in front of a locker in which a girl was rummaging through. From the back, I could see that she was a bit shorter than me, had a thin figure, and had wavy locks of hair that were in the shade strawberry blonde. From behind, she looked pretty.

Mr. Simpson cleared his throat. "Ms. Edwards?"

The girl jumped a little. I smirked.

"Y-yes?" she answered, turning around, looking confused and startled.

"This is Eli Goldsworthy. He is a new student here at Degrassi that just moved from Vancouver. Clare, I'd like you to give him a tour around Degrassi. I'll write you two hall passes so you can skip first period," Mr. Simpson continued, pulling out a pad of pink sheets from his pocket.

As Mr. Simpson worked on writing us hall passes, I took a good look at Clare. She had milky, clear skin and light blue eyes. Her lips weren't too plump but weren't too thin, either. She wasn't pretty just from behind; she was gorgeous all-around.

**Clare's POV**

I stopped listening as soon as I turned around and saw him. Although it was wrong, considering I was with KC, I couldn't help but find myself thinking about how insanely cute Munro was. His eyes were a forrest green shade, his hair was chocolate brown and sat perfectly on his head, and his side smirk... it was what attracted me the most. I tried not to look at him, I really did. But it was hard. As Mr. Simpson talked, I found myself sneaking peaks at Eli and often saw him looking back.

"...you can skip first period," was what I heard once I tuned Mr. Simpson back in. After he wrote us our hall passes, he left.

"So, where are we headed to first?" Eli asked.

Him just talking to me made my heart skip a beat or twelve. "U-uhm. Uh... how about we go to the gym first, it's near the cafeteria, which we can go to afterwards."

"Certainly, because I definitely have not seen a school gym nor a school cafeteria before," Eli replied, smirking.

"W-well, where do you want to go then?" I asked. Darn it, why do I keep stuttering? He must think I'm some weird freak now.

"You look nervous. Why? And I was just kidding, you're the one giving the tour, it's not up to me," he said, stopping after he said 'nervous'. We were in front of the media immersion room, which was supposed to be my first class if it weren't for me giving Eli the tour. I saw Alli and Jenna walking down the hall, headed to the media immersion room.

"Clare! Hi!" Alli greeted, hugging me.

"Hey Clare-Bear!" Jenna said after Alli's hug, pulling me in for another hug.

"Hey guys," I said, grinning at my two best friends.

"Why aren't you going to class? The bell's going to ring any second. And who's he?" Alli asked, nodding towards Eli.

"I'm El-" Eli started.

"This is Eli, he's new here. He just moved from Vancouver. I'm not going to class because Simpson put me in charge of giving him a tour around Degrassi," I interrupted, giving Eli a sly smile once I was finished.

"You know, I'm capable of speaking. I'd say I know maybe just a little more about myself then you do," Eli replied sarcastically, with another one of his famous smirks.

As soon as he finished, the bell rang.

"Well, we have to get going so we'll leave you two love birds alone. Have fun!" Alli chirped before heading into the classroom, Jenna giggling and following.

"Well aren't they something," Eli said.

"They sure are."

"I noticed you're not as nervous looking anymore."

"I wasn't nervous..."

"Oh please, Clare. We've known each other for about 15 minutes and it's quite obvious that I make you nervous!"

"Well aren't we quite conceited."

"It's called confidence, Clare-Bear."

"Don't call me that, I hate that nickname."

I noticed that we were now in front of the gym.

"Ladies first," Eli said, pushing the door open for me.

"Thank you, Eli," I replied.

Eli took a long look at the gym, before he nudged me, and pointed at the far right corner of the bleachers.

**Eli's POV**

"KC! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" Clare erupted, running up the bleachers to where a tall boy with a straight dirty blonde hair was sitting, making out with a girl with crazy black curls, huge hoops, all topped off with a crop top.

"Clare? What are you doing here?" the boy Clare addressed as 'KC' replied, standing up.

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here, sucking face with that... that... that SKANK."

Assuming KC was her boyfriend, I started to head up the bleachers.

"We... we weren't doing anything, Clare. I swear. Who's he?" KC said, pointing at me.

"You know, it's not nice to point," I started. "And I go by the name of Eli."

"I don't care what you go by, what are you doing in here with _my_ girlfriend?" KC said.

"Oh, _now _you consider her your girlfriend? Did you consider that while you were fooling around with another girl? And unlike yourself, I would never get involved intimately with someone in a relationship, or even worse – while _I_ was the one already in a relationship with someone else. I just transferred here from Vancouver and Mr. Simpson assigned Clare here to give me a tour around the school. That's all. And so before you go and turn the tables on me, I think you owe Clare an explanation."

I looked at Clare and saw her look at me, then at KC, then back at me and so forth. Her eyes were becoming redder and wetter each second. Suddenly, a tear slid down her cheek, and she started off. She ran. She ran out the gym, and down some hallway. I started after her. I saw her heading to the Cafeteria, clearly labeled 'Cafeteria' with a sign. By now, she was bawling.

"Clare!" I tried calling after her.

She continued through the doors of the Cafeteria.

Once I entered the quite large room, I noticed her walking past a certain wall and stopping. As I got closer, I saw that she had entered a room labeled 'Boiler Room'. Being cautious, I knocked. No response. I slowly opened the door and saw Clare sitting on one of the bottom steps, crying even harder than before.

I sat down next to her.

**Clare's POV**

"You know, Clare, everybody only has _one_ person in their entire life that is worth their tears. Nobody else is worth them. And you know why that one person is worth your tears? Because they'd never make you cry." Eli stated after a few minutes of silence except for the sound of me occasionally sniffing and hiccuping.

"Are you not going to talk to me?" He asked, after I hadn't replied to his previous comment.

"I... I'm sorry Eli, I just didn't know what to say. Thank you. That was beautiful," I finally proclaimed.

"Like you?" He smirked.

I looked up at him and smiled, before looking back down at my feet.

"Clare, even though we've known each other for a mere hour, maybe less, I can already tell that you're a beautiful girl inside and out. KC doesn't deserve you."

I looked at him. Why was he so amazing? Why did he have such a way of words that just made you... want him?

All my questions and thoughts were suddenly put to a halt when Eli put his hand on my shoulder, ever so lightly, and pulled me in. In a matter of seconds, our lips were touching. Even though it as all so sudden and possibly wrong, I didn't want to stop.


	2. Chapter 2

_Keep Me Sane CH2_ by xbigbrowneyes

***Thank you guys for the sweet reviews! :) BTW, I know I accidentally wrote Munro instead of Eli in one of Clare's POVs in the last chapter... but I don't know how to edit it; it'd be really nice for someone to explain it to me :) Thanks 3**

**Clare's POV**

Suddenly, in the midst of it all, he just pulled away.

"I-I really have to go. B-bye Clare. Thanks for the tour." He choked out, standing up and running up the stairs and out the door before I could say anything.

I was confused, to sum up my thoughts and feelings. What had I done wrong? Should I have not kissed him? Should I have pulled away? _What_ should I have done? I kept wondering why he left. I thought everything was perfect, but I guess he had something else in mind.

**Eli's POV**

I had to get away from her. I just had to. I couldn't let _it_ happen again... especially not with her.

**Clare's POV**

I sat on the steps, thinking. After a few minutes, I checked my watch. There was about 10 minutes before 2nd period started. I headed out of the boiler room and waited by Adam's locker. I met Adam about 2 weeks ago when him and his brother transferred from Ontario and I've considered him one of my closest friends and definitely my closest guy friend ever since. He understood me better than Alli and Jenna.

Once the bell rang, I saw Adam rushing towards his locker, staring at me.

"Clare? Why weren't you in class? Is everything okay...?" Adam asked, approaching me.

"It's... it's Eli..."

"Who's Eli? That name sounds familiar."

"Eli Goldsworthy. He just transferred here today from Ontario."

"Oh! Him! I know him, we used to be in Biology and History together. He's pretty cool. What'd he do?"

"Well... I kinda caught KC cheating on me while giving Eli a tour-"

"WHAT?" Adam practically screamed, a few people passing by gave us weird looks.

"Yeah... with that new chick, Bianca. Anyways, then he defended me in front of KC and I broke down crying so I ran to the boiler room... he followed me... said some sweet things... and _things_ happened. Then he just got up out of nowhere and left."

"Clare, you hooked up with a guy you _just met_?"

"... It's not like that, he actually seemed to understand me."

"Clare, you _just_ met him. What if he just said those things just to hook up with you?"

I looked at Adam. I thought he was going to actually show me some support and give me some advice, but he was basically making me come off like a _slut._

"I'm sorry, Clare, but think abo-"

I turned to walk away.

"Clare!" he shouted after me.

I turned around. "Save it, Adam. I'm just some slut, right? Right. Bye."

I headed to my English class. As I took a seat, Mrs. Dawes started taking attendance. She called out a last name I haven't heard her call out before.

"Goldsworthy? Is he here?"

Silence in the classroom.

She mumbled to herself. "Only the first day and already cutting class," she said, marking him absent.

But he was here. Keyword being _was_. Now he was gone, and it was all because of something I did.


End file.
